


Law of Sines and Cosines

by ThreeCrowsInATrenchcoat



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Student Remus, Swearing, alcohol mention, but Hot Math Tutor is hot, except Remus doesn't actually need tutoring, no beta we die like Roman's self-confidence, tutor logan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:02:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29008740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThreeCrowsInATrenchcoat/pseuds/ThreeCrowsInATrenchcoat
Summary: Truthfully, Remus had already finished with the homework. With zero issue, too. Just like the last three assignments. University Physics I had nothing on Multivariable Calculus, and Remus had taken the latter for fun in high school.Truthfully, Remus actually had no reason whatsoever for being in the university tutoring center, for what was now the second time that week. All his classes were easy as shit. He could be out partying right now. Hell, he should be out partying right now, it was a damn Friday night.But… Remus’ eyes lingered on Hot Math Tutor across the room.(or: Remus can do trigonometry just fine. But he'd much rather pretend he can't so he can hang out with Hot Math Tutor. Too bad he doesn't know his actual name.)
Relationships: Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders
Comments: 5
Kudos: 72





	Law of Sines and Cosines

“And then you just need to resolve the x and y components, and you should be able to finish from there- are you even listening?”

“Huh? Yeah, of course.” Remus looked down at his notebook, where he had definitely not been taking notes. Across the table, Hot Math Tutor sighed. 

“I have a few other students I need to go help. Do you feel like you are able to finish the problem from here?”

“Um…” Remus looked up from his blank page to the perfection that was Hot Math Tutor’s face, and he really _really_ wanted to ask him to stay and keep talking in that beautiful, nerdy voice of his. 

“I think I’m good,” Remus said instead, because he could hear this little tiny voice in his head, that was neither beautiful or nerdy and sounded an awful lot like Roman, screaming at him to at least _try_ and act normal for once in his goddamn life. “If I get stuck, I can just put my name back up on the board again, right?” 

“Yes, and whoever is available will come around and help you.”

Remus leaned back in his chair as Hot Math Tutor gathered up his notes and made his way over to a group of students a few tables over.

Truthfully, Remus had already finished with the homework. With zero issue, too. Just like the last three assignments. University Physics I had nothing on Multivariable Calculus, and Remus had taken the latter for fun in high school. 

_Truthfully_ , Remus actually had no reason whatsoever for being in the university tutoring center, for what was now the second time that week. All his classes were easy as shit. He could be out partying right now. Hell, he _should_ be out partying right now, it was a damn Friday night. 

But… Remus’ eyes lingered on Hot Math Tutor across the room. True, he wasn’t Remus’ usual type. No piercings, no visible tattoos. His hair was short, neat, and a normal-person color. He was wearing a damn polo shirt tucked into his jeans, for fuck’s sake. And Remus was over here in an old leather jacket and muddy combat boots acting like a dumbass who didn’t know sine from cosine. 

_Pathetic_ , said that tiny voice in his head, which sounded a lot like Jannie now for some reason.

Remus hastily slammed some math down on his paper, just in case Hot Math Tutor came back over. He didn’t want him to think he was a _complete_ loser, after all. 

(He was totally a loser. Sitting in the tutoring center, on a Friday night, _pining._ What a fuckin’ loser.)

Remus waited a very respectable amount of time before putting his name back up on the board. Because he’s a respectable guy like that. By this point, the other tables were empty and, Remus realized with a start, it looked like the other tutors in the center were packing up to leave. 

“Are you closing up?” Remus asked as Hot Math Tutor came over to his table. To Remus’ immense relief, Hot Math Tutor shook his head.

“No, the center stays open until 11pm. We just don’t have many students come in after 8 on Fridays, so I am the only one who stays.” 

“Oh, yeah. Everyone’s out partyin’, I guess,” Remus said. “What losers.”

The very corner of Hot Math Tutor’s mouth curled up ever so slightly, and Remus felt like he’d been eviscerated. What the _fuck_ why was he so pretty. 

“Shall we?”

It took Remus 2.6 seconds longer than it should have to realize that Hot Math Tutor was referring to the random question Remus had pulled out from his textbook and not, in fact, anything even remotely gayer than that. How unfortunate.

“Oh. Uh, yeah. Um… what’s this ‘CSC’ mean?”

“That stands for cosecant, or the reciprocal of sine. We used it in the last problem, remember?”

“ _Ohh_ , of course,” Remus said quickly. “Yeah, no, sorry, I just got confused. Can you, like… refresh my memory?”

Hot Math Tutor huffed softly, and obliged- and Remus didn’t write down a damn word. 

-

This went on for two months. 

“Pathetic,” said Janus. Real Janus, sitting across from him in the library, not tiny-yet-condescending-voice-in-his-head Janus. 

“You wound me,” Remus muttered. “Just for that, you’re not invited to our wedding.”

“You don’t even know his name,” Janus replied. “You’ve been calling him Hot Math Tutor for two months.”

“He doesn’t wear a name tag at work, and I see him like three times a week. It would be weird to ask his name now.” 

“Ah, yes. And you’ve _always_ been one to care about social niceties.”

“I actually really like this one, ok?” 

Janus narrowed his eyes. Remus almost wanted to go hide behind the bookshelves, but he was sprawled out dramatically across two chairs and half a table, and getting up seemed like too much work. 

“You don’t usually put in this much effort,” Janus conceded after a few moments. “I don’t think you’ve been to a party since you learned he works Friday evenings. I will admit that’s impressive.”

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“I just mean that by 11pm on a Friday, you’re typically drunk, high, or fucking some stranger you met ten minutes ago. Or all three at once.”

“That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?” Remus snapped. “Besides, Jannie, you were one of those strangers not so long ago.”

“Yes, and my life is so greatly enriched by your presence in it,” Janus said dryly. Remus decided not to start throwing books at his best friend right there in the middle of the library, but it took an immense amount of self control.

Instead, he said, “You bet your pretty little ass it is.”

“Well since you spend oh so much time in the tutoring center like a good little college boy,” Janus said, completely ignoring his brilliant comeback. “Why don’t you help me with my math homework?”

“I’m not doing your fuckin’ math homework for you, Janus. Pre-law majors should learn math, too.”

“Then at least teach me this… trigonometry nonsense. Surely I won’t _ever_ have to use this again.”

This time, Remus was the one to narrow his eyes. His glare just didn’t have the same effect on Janus as Janus’ did on him, though- they never did- and after a few moments, Remus crumbled.

“Ok, fine. But roll one of those big whiteboards over here. I’m not wasting a sheet of paper on you.”

Trig was easy. He could do trig in his sleep. And then Janus made a snide comment about there being “no real-world applications,” and just for that, Remus drew a complex example from his aviations textbook up on the board. Which, when Janus said there was no way he could solve that, he of course had to solve in excruciating detail because fuck Janus, that’s why. 

And at the exact moment the realization hit him that Janus didn’t usually sit there and tolerate hearing about _math_ for this long and had to be intentionally nudging him down tangents like this for a _reason,_ Remus happened to glance away from the whiteboard and locked eyes with Hot Math Tutor. Who was… oh no.

_He was walking toward them._

Everything slotted into place. Janus was an opportunistic shit with a view of the door from where he sat. And Remus was gonna murder him. 

“Hello, Remus,” Hot Math Tutor’s beautiful, nerdy voice interrupted all thoughts of homicide. 

“Uh… hi,” Remus said, still a little dumbfounded. 

“Friend of yours, Remus?” Janus asked innocently. Remus could clobber him right this second. 

Hot Math Tutor adjusted his tie- he was wearing a _tie-_ almost uncomfortably when he looked at Janus.

“My apologies. I did not mean to interrupt.”

“You didn’t,” Janus said smoothly. He stood up, and only then did Remus realize Janus had somehow managed to subtly pack up his laptop and notebooks during Remus’ math rant. “I was just leaving. I have class.”

“You don’t-” Remus started, but Janus shoulder-checked him as he walked past. Remus shut up, but tried very hard to convey _I’m going to kill you_ with his eyes as Janus sauntered off. Leaving him alone…

Alone with Hot Math Tutor.

_Who was looking at all the math on the whiteboard._

“Uh…” Remus tried, but all thoughts left his head when Hot Math Tutor turned to him and _smiled._

“This is very complex,” he said. Did he… did he sound impressed? “Especially for someone who has asked me six times for the half-angle formula.”

“I, uh…” Oh, fuck it. “I’ve kinda been lying? About needing math help? I’ve, like, just been making up random questions as an excuse to see you, instead of asking you to a coffee date or something, like a normal person.”

Hot Math Tutor stared at him for a moment. Then he adjusted his classes. Then he cleared his throat. Then, when Remus felt like he was going to straight up implode from anxiety, he finally spoke.

“I am truly relieved to learn that you actually can do math. I would be amenable to going with you for coffee.” 

“Wait, really?”

“Yes.” Hot Math Tutor glanced away, suddenly looking a bit embarrassed. “Truthfully, I find you quite attractive. And did so even before I learned you actually can do math.”

“Shit, maybe I won’t murder Janus,” Remus muttered to himself. Hot Math Tutor tilted his head, so Remus said quickly, “Oh, uh, well hey, that’s awesome. Do you, like. Want to trade numbers? So we can. Y’know. Plan a time for coffee?”

Hot Math Tutor smiled. Remus felt a little lightheaded.

(In a galaxy brain move, Remus handed Hot Math Tutor his phone, open to the New Contact screen to let him enter his info. 

Hot Math Tutor’s name was Logan.)

**Author's Note:**

> My girlfriend made one (1) joke about a College AU for ourselves, and said that in this AU, she would go into the tutoring center just to see me when I was working, but wouldn't actually ask me out because lesbians never actually get around to that part (why bother when we can both pine for a year instead?) and an hour and a half later I had a complete one shot written.
> 
> I have no other context for this story, so I hope y'all enjoy it!
> 
> Come find me on tumblr @ThreeCrowsInATrenchcoat to yell at me.


End file.
